


Be Back Soon

by Aravis_Bryir



Series: California One-Shots [5]
Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid
Genre: California, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:48:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24141613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aravis_Bryir/pseuds/Aravis_Bryir
Summary: "Can you stay? Just until I fall asleep?"
Relationships: Ethan Green & Hannah Foster, Hannah Foster & Lex Foster, Hannah Foster & Webby, Lex Foster & Ethan Green, Lex Foster/Ethan Green
Series: California One-Shots [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1736671
Comments: 2
Kudos: 37





	Be Back Soon

It was the first night in their California apartment. They hadn’t gotten any furniture yet so Hannah was sleeping on an air mattress on the floor. It was strange to have a bedroom all to herself. It felt empty. Lex said that was because she didn’t have any furniture or anything yet, just a duffel bag filled with clothes and toys and the air mattress.   
Hannah pulled her blanket further up under her chin, trying to forget she was all alone. She had Webby, of course, but Webby wasn’t the same as a real person. She had fallen asleep on her own before, but that was always with the knowledge that Lex would be next to her when she woke up or if she had a bad dream. But Lex wasn’t going to be next to her anymore, she was in the other room with Ethan.  
She’d been trying to sleep for hours. The room was too dark, the mattress rustled when she moved. The room was too empty. It was scary. Hannah tried not to think about it. She tried to talk to Webby, but Webby would just say she’d be fine and needed to go to sleep. She trusted Webby, of course she did. She knew she was safe, but that didn’t stop the prospect of being in a dark room alone all night less scary.  
She wanted Lex.  
But would Lexi get upset at her for not being able to stick it out on her own? Surely not. Hannah wanted her to at least be with her to help her get to sleep. It was late, though. Lexi was probably already asleep.  
Hannah began to cry. She didn’t know what to do. Even on the trip to California she hadn’t slept in a room on her own. The three of them either bundled up into the car together or slept in a one-roomed motel. Having a room to herself all night an every night from now on was daunting. She didn’t know how to relax. Even when Lex wasn’t there when she was falling asleep, Lex always tucked Hannah in and told her she’d be back soon. Lex had tucked her in tonight, but there was no assurance that she’d be there next to her soon.  
She had to go get Lexi.  
Tears were still falling down her cheeks as she slowly took off the blanket and stood up. Before she could change her mind, she darted to the door, swinging it open and running to Lex and Ethan’s room. She opened their door. They were asleep, using two sleeping bags as mattresses, a blanket draped atop them. Lex was using Ethan’s chest as a pillow, and his arm was around her waist. Hannah went straight to her sister and shook her awake.  
“Lexi.” She said. She tried not to be too loud so she wouldn’t wake up Ethan, but loud enough to rouse Lex.  
“Hannah?” Her voice was thick with sleep as she opened her eyes, noticing the tears on Hannah’s cheeks. She sat up, pulling her sister into her arms. “What’s wrong?”  
“Scary. Lonely. No sleep.” Was all she could say as she burrowed herself into Lex.  
Lex hushed her gently. “It’s okay. You’re okay.” She rocked them back and forth, trying not to bump into Ethan, who still slept soundly. “I’ve got you.”  
Hannah hugged tighter, relieved to be back with Lex.  
“How about we go back to your room so we don’t wake up Ethan.”  
Hannah nodded and she and Lex stood up. Hannah hugged Lex’s arm tightly as they made their way to her bedroom. Together they sat down on the bed and Hannah crawled onto Lex’s lap.  
“Do you want to tell me what had you so scared?”  
“No ‘be back soon.’” She mumbled.  
“Huh?”  
“You always say ‘be back soon’ when you tuck me in but there’s no more ‘be back soon.’”  
“Oh.” Lex said as she realised why Hannah was upset. “Just because we won’t be sleeping in the same room anymore doesn’t mean I’m not there for you.”  
“Too far away.”  
“The room next door’s too far away, huh?”  
Hannah nodded.  
“You know, you were like this when you were a baby.”  
“I was?”  
“Uh-huh. Lie down and close your eyes and I’ll tell you about it.” Lex gently tucked Hannah under the covers and began to stroke her hair. “Whenever I went to put you down to sleep and left the room, you’d immediately start crying. You wouldn’t stop until I was holding you again. You were too small to understand that I was just in the next room and that I wasn’t going to leave you. Every night you wouldn’t go to sleep unless you could see me and you’d cry the moment I walked out of the room. There were times where I was sure you were asleep but the second the door closed behind me you’d be up crying. I started saying ‘be back soon’ so that you’d know I was always going to come back. You started to understand what ‘be back soon’ meant and you stopped crying when I left. After five minutes, however, you’d start to cry because I wasn’t back soon enough. But slowly you’d last longer and longer without crying and soon fell asleep before I got back. And I’m not sure if you remember this, it was right after me and Ethan started dating and I was putting you to bed and he was hanging around, you refused to let either of us leave before we’d both said ‘be back soon’.”  
“Don’t remember that.” Hannah said sleepily.  
“You were only four or five at the time, so I’m not surprised.” Lex said. “I think it’s about time you went to sleep, Banana.” She got up.  
“Can you stay? Just until I fall asleep?”  
Lex though for a moment, then sat back down. “Okay, Banana.”  
“Love you, Lexi.”  
“Love you too.” She stroked Hannah’s hair, humming softly and soon enough she was asleep. “Be back soon.” She whispered, kissing Hannah on the forehead before creeping out of the room. She returned to her room and slipped back under the blanket next to Ethan. He rolled over now awake.  
“Everything okay?” He asked.  
“Yeah, Hannah just got a bit scared being on her own, but she’s asleep now.”  
“Missed her big sister, did she?”  
“Yeah.”  
“She’s gonna have to get used to that, because you’re all mine now.” He kissed her cheek.   
Lex turned her head to kiss his lips. “There’s enough of me to go around.”  
“I guess I could share you.” Ethan hugged her closer to him. “Night, babe.”  
“Night.”


End file.
